This is a really interesting article about the peace movement and how it should be revamped to target the current problems in Iraq to continue shedding light on Bush's shortcomings.
Hope Out of Quagmire -- New Peace Movement Opportunities
by Paul Loeb
A shift away from unilateral US control already has broad potential support. In a late-June Knowledge Network poll, 64% of Americans wanted the UN to take a leadership role in Iraq, up from 50% in April. Pushing for such a shift will also let us reach out to American soldiers who are increasingly frustrated at being given a mission with neither a defined end nor any clear boundaries between friend and foe. And to military families angry that they see no clear timetable for the return of their loved ones. We could contrast Bush's chickenhawk bluster of "Bring them on," with our own call to "Bring them Home," and include a vision that demands more than just abandoning Iraq to chaos.
. . .
Working to bring the troops home will also give us a chance to address related questions, like the missing WMDs, America's long tradition of arming dictators, the key role of oil politics, and the lies and manipulations that fueled our rush to war-including the notion that we'd be universally hailed as liberators and the attacks on generals who accurately warned of massive post-war troop deployments. Raising these issues will lead to larger questions about the dangers of Bush's belligerent unilateralism, and the contrast between the four billion dollars a month he's spending in Iraq and his total neglect of a sinking domestic economy. The more we succeed in this task, the more we have a chance to breach Bush's image as national protector.
If Bush does withdraw after sustained citizen pressure, his administration will have been significantly tarnished. And we'll have a major peace movement victory, which will itself empower further action. A key value of this campaign would be its ability to help recover activist momentum and morale-giving people a concrete focus for their actions. There's a huge reservoir of citizens who became active in the opposition to the war, but who've since melted back to private life. If we can get them re-engaged at this point, they have a chance to become long-term activists. They may not yet have taken up the particular issue of troop withdrawal, but that's because most were so demoralized by the war's quick initial progress and seemingly overwhelming support that they felt that what happened was totally out of their hands. Now it isn't. Citizens once again can begin to have a voice, in a far more potentially receptive environment.



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